The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-02-09
THE SIGN BEARER.

Poiho Vi baSV, Ilollil1lR DtU ~ DeTlpdtctlC
sandwich he is apt to grow Indifferent to
small points of etiquette and to tho social
exactions that demand a prefix to a gcn-
tleman's name when he is addressed.
For old Sandy was q gentleman in
spite Of tho fact that there was nothing
visible of him above the sign board, so
TO speak. but q pair Of dropping shout
ders inadequately covered with a rusty
tweed coat; n weather beaten neck, in
which some of the cords seemed TO have
acquired undue prominence by reason OF
the heavy boards swung by straps across
his dropping shoulders; q careworn face.
forever redeemed from insignifcancc by
q pair OF mild L eycs that had caught
o commercial trick Of looking very pep
suasively into the face of every passerby,
as no supplemented the big lettcrcd an
nouncements of his boards by n hutter-
ing rose colored leafet extended in a
tremulous brown hand; thin, wind blown
gray hair and q d~isreputable hat that alb
solutely refused to locate itself chrome
logically In the calendar Of fashion.
hat wa the upper man Sandy. Sandy
below the boards was principally notice
able on the occasion in question for a
pair Of brand new shoes that apparently
squeaked in uncomfortable amusement
ut finding themselves on such feet, with
such absurd Accomplishments as those
Immensely ragged trowser ends and
those brilliantly painted rims to f;andv's
sandwich boards, which set forth in the
most positive language the location OF
tho finest and cheapest hoe backing to
be found III all New York city or per
haps in the world.
Few, indeed, let them be ever so punc-
tiliously inclined, would have known to
call old Sandy but just that; for it
seemed to go beyond tho memory Of man
when he had not formed one of a solemn
procession of thin sandwiches, ranging
according to height, tall, taller, tallcst,
that ploddcd patiently up one sido of
broadway and downthc other, proclaim
Ing h same excellence OF the same shoe
hlacking with the same patient indiffcr-
enCe to the changes OF the weather as to
the changes in the political horizon;
with the same stolid acceptance OF tho
lostllnR that was inevitable when their
unyielding boards came in sharp contact
with the swift rushing tide Of humanity
that now swept with them and now
against them.
But hearts must trob, even under the
heavy pressure Of sandwich board, and
1t was because the front man in the pro-
e~ession, "tallest," knew that old Sandy's
bad occasion to beat somewhat sorrow
fully just then that he turned and asked
him n question on that bright but blus-
terlng morning, not urgently, only alb
ruptry for want of time:
"How's the Midgel"
"Wurse."
There come moments of relaxation and
refreshmcrt even into sandSiched lives.
II when old Sandy's companions broke
rankD on that day to go to lunch he
separated himself from them and. drop.
ping his Glow commercial march step,
walked AZ rapidly as he could for tho
rigid impediments on his shoulders east
ward, ever eastward, until he reached
tho dreary neighborhood of Hester street,
where he turned abruptly into "A door
that stood open and clattcred up stairs.
his brand new shoes creaking ~vocifer-
ously on the bare boards Of the steep and
dirty stepa, his imprisoning boards
thumping on the step above him us he
mounted hastily up two flights and
stopped suddenly at L door Immediately
In front of him and knocked twice. The
hrst knock sounded Il trit,e apologize,
the secon a trihc impatient; both fail
Ing of recognition, he cautiously turned
the handle and pcepcd into the DOM.
1t wa3 not an interior calculated TO fas-
cinate the gaze, nevertheless old Sandy
stood there quito awhile lookingin with
out making any motion toward entering.
n room was dark, not for want OF
windows, for it boosted of three. but
what with the Opaque newspapers that
supplied the place Of numerous miss
Ing panes of glass and the old shawl and
old quilts that had been pinned up as
high AZ a woman's arm could reach to
keep the wine at bay, and the unwashcd
condition of the upper sash, the renec-
ton OF the bright sunlight that was
flooding the streets old Sandy had lust
left was reduced to it, minimum. Such
sunshine, however, AZ did penetrate into
the dingy room fell direct upon three
cages full Of canary birds that swung
high up against the unwashed upper
cash, and when Sandy opened the door
they were rejoicing in it with an cxubcr-
ance of vocal content that seemed almost
hlSOlent III us CONTRAST WIN the sadness
and stiffness of their surroundings.
AS Sandy's eyes got used to the OBJ
security they became conscious of an
other pair Of eyes fastened on his own
with q sort of imploring intensity.
They looked immensely large, staring ut
him there from the cradle in front of the
sullen stove, but perhaps it was because
they wore set in such an exceedingly
small face from which all the flesh
seemed to have worn away, leaving the
dry skin drawn like q drumhead over
the baby cheek bones. Two meager arms
terminating in two claw like hands were
outstrctchod in mute appeal toward old
Sandy. But no sound came from the
Midge's dry lips.
BLESS my soul; it's all alone. Poor
little Midget"
Old Sandy creaked in on the tiptces Of
his brand new shoes, making all the
more noise by reason Of his superhuman
efforts to make none at all. Tho canary
.l - -